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The 2006 Pinot Noir was produced from grapes grown in four counties: Mendocino (47%), Solano (24%), Sonoma (16%), and Napa (13%). This combination, in a good quality year like 2006, has yielded a wine with lots of classic Pinot Noir character.
The largest fraction, from Mendocino County, was grown in the Redwood Valley area, and created a cherries-and-plums fruit character and a plush texture on which to build the blend. Solano County, in turn, has given us its usual up-front fruit with ripeness that broadens the palate impression and gives the wine a pleasing and generous keynote. In Sonoma County (Sonoma Carneros, actually), we benefited from a warm late season that produced a deep-colored, complex, mulberry-like fraction, adding some elegant tone and fine spice-cake notes to the whole; while our Napa component, from the southeast part of the valley, contributed spectacular power and depth, with rich stone fruit character, to the final blend.
Medium-full garnet in color, the wine leaps from the glass with loads of baked cherry/berry fruit character, along with anise, spice cake and the ‘beety’ notes so appreciated in Pinot Noir. Showing lots of vigor and sweet juicy fruit on the palate, the wine’s muscle is matched by a supple texture and velvety tannins that give it great accessibility. Enjoy it with grilled meats and poultry, salmon and light pastas.
“It is surprising that such a good yet fairly priced Pinot Noir can be made in the New World, where consumers tend to lose any common sense and purchase mediocre, but extravagantly priced Pinots (thanks to the movie Sideways). Cartlidge & Browne’s 2006 Pinot Noir is better than many that sell for five times the price. Its medium ruby color is followed by a soft perfume of sweet cherry fruit and a touch of cinnamon. With good size, medium body, excellent purity, and a generous, savory texture, it can be enjoyed over the next 1-2 years. These are all excellent values! One of the premium purveyors of value-priced California wines (believe me, there are not many that offer high quality at low prices), Cartlidge & Browne continues to provide rewarding and surprisingly tasty drinking.”
87 Points – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
The largest fraction, from Mendocino County, was grown in the Redwood Valley area, and created a cherries-and-plums fruit character and a plush texture on which to build the blend. Solano County, in turn, has given us its usual up-front fruit with ripeness that broadens the palate impression and gives the wine a pleasing and generous keynote. In Sonoma County (Sonoma Carneros, actually), we benefited from a warm late season that produced a deep-colored, complex, mulberry-like fraction, adding some elegant tone and fine spice-cake notes to the whole; while our Napa component, from the southeast part of the valley, contributed spectacular power and depth, with rich stone fruit character, to the final blend.
Medium-full garnet in color, the wine leaps from the glass with loads of baked cherry/berry fruit character, along with anise, spice cake and the ‘beety’ notes so appreciated in Pinot Noir. Showing lots of vigor and sweet juicy fruit on the palate, the wine’s muscle is matched by a supple texture and velvety tannins that give it great accessibility. Enjoy it with grilled meats and poultry, salmon and light pastas.
“It is surprising that such a good yet fairly priced Pinot Noir can be made in the New World, where consumers tend to lose any common sense and purchase mediocre, but extravagantly priced Pinots (thanks to the movie Sideways). Cartlidge & Browne’s 2006 Pinot Noir is better than many that sell for five times the price. Its medium ruby color is followed by a soft perfume of sweet cherry fruit and a touch of cinnamon. With good size, medium body, excellent purity, and a generous, savory texture, it can be enjoyed over the next 1-2 years. These are all excellent values! One of the premium purveyors of value-priced California wines (believe me, there are not many that offer high quality at low prices), Cartlidge & Browne continues to provide rewarding and surprisingly tasty drinking.”
87 Points – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate